


two men, a symbiote, and a retired german shepherd

by kitausuret



Category: Marvel 616, Venom (Comics)
Genre: Adopting a dog, Death of a minor side character from Agent Venom comics, Domestic family fluff, Eddie is also a dog person he just doesn't know it yet, Established Relationship, Flash is a dog person, I just really love dogs okay, Military Funerals, Multi, Project Rebirth 2.0 was a dark time lol, Retired Service Dog, Samson is a GOOD BOY, Symbruary, shoutout to the best Venom host ever AKA this seeing-eye German Shepherd, the symbiote is a dog....alien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:34:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29282301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitausuret/pseuds/kitausuret
Summary: After General Brad Dodge passes away, his long-time seeing-eye dog Samson is left without the home and family he knew for years. What was Flash Thompson supposed to do,nottake in the good, perfect boy who had saved his life? Not on his watch, or on the Venom symbiote's.As for Eddie Brock, well... how couldanyonesay no to those eyes?(Symbruary Days 7-8: Animals)
Relationships: Eddie Brock/Flash Thompson/Venom Symbiote
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14
Collections: SYMBRUARY





	two men, a symbiote, and a retired german shepherd

**Author's Note:**

> Couple quick notes:
> 
> Disclaimer, I am not an expert on service dogs. However, I know a lot about dog adoption and am a huge proponent of rescue dog adoptions. It's condensed for the sake of me wanting to write this in the space of two days, but I have wanted to write about doggy adoption for a long time lol. 
> 
> Brad Dodge was a relatively minor character, as was Aaron MacKenzie, so I'm taking a lot of liberties with them. Yes, I know Dodge's wiki article says he's single, but if I want him to have a queer daughter, who's going to tell me I'm wrong?

It had been years since Flash had last seen the seeing-eye German Shepherd, but he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised to see Samson at his handler’s funeral. 

General Brad Dodge and the once-Agent Venom had never quite been on the same page, but Flash had always respected him. Like most military projects, Rebirth 2.0 had been the product of a greedy military industrial complex, a fundamental misunderstanding of a sentient being, and indeed a handful of people who had sincerely wanted to do something good. Or at least, whatever their collective misguided idea of “good” (or maybe “lesser of two evils”) had been. 

Flash Thompson had been among that group. He liked to think Dodge had been, too, in his own way. The least he could do was go to the man’s funeral. Eddie had opted out, but sent the symbiote along with Flash, because there were few things worse than being totally alone at a funeral. So he sat there in his wheelchair and his dress blues, willing himself to not flinch during the gun salute, until all was said and done and the casket lowered into the grave. 

As Dodge’s family and friends were gathered around, speaking in mostly low tones, Flash managed to flag down Lieutenant Aaron MacKenzie and pulled him aside. “Hey man, good to see you. Been a long time.”

“Yeah, you know what they say, though… weddings and funerals…”

“Shame about Dodge. I know what they said in the pamphlet, but between you and me… cancer? I know it had been a while since I’d seen him last, but he seemed, you know, to be doing okay.”

MacKenzie shook his head. “Came on fast, you know how that sometimes goes. I saw him in the hospital once, he told me he felt like it was karma for Vietnam.” He crossed his arms with a sigh. “That dog was with him through it all - surgery, chemo, up until he said he couldn’t take it anymore. Samson was loyal up to the bitter end.” He chuckled a little. “Samson was only a year old when he started working as Dodge’s service dog. He’s old enough for retirement now, himself. Dodge’s daughter and daughter-in-law are fostering him for now, but they can’t keep him long-term. Probably will have to put him up for adoption, but I feel like Dodge would want his old pal to go to someone he would trust, you know?” 

In the back of his mind, the symbiote, quiet up to this point, stirred a little. It had bonded once, briefly, with the German Shepherd. In a somewhat ironic turn of events, they had attacked a very spidery Captain Steve Rogers before coming to Flash’s rescue. Samson was, indeed, a  _ good boy _ . 

He pulled out his phone and looked up at MacKenzie. “You know… I’ve got a small house and a little yard. Got a contact for the general’s daughter?”

\-----

“Our yard is very small.”

“He’s an old dog, and we’re both very active, we can still take him out.”

“We both work.”

“Our application was accepted, Eddie; if we weren’t a good fit, do you think they really would have adopted out a general’s service dog to us?”

Samson lay dutifully on the bench of the backseat as they drove home from where Dodge’s daughter lived upstate. She’d been a little surprised to see the adopting family consist of a medal of honor recipient (not so surprising) and the man a good chunk of New Yorkers remembered as Venom (a little more surprising). She and her wife both worked demanding, travel-heavy jobs, but they wanted to make sure the general’s long-time companion went to a good home. Samson, being familiar with Flash, had happily gone straight to him when they showed up. The German Shepherd had also sniffed curiously at Eddie, likely sensing the symbiote that made up his jacket and indeed a good chunk of his current existence.

For obvious reasons, though, they waited until they were home and inside to reacquaint Samson with their symbiotic partner. Once he’d thoroughly sniffed around the house and yard, Eddie took a seat on the floor and Flash across from them on the couch. 

Flash called Samson over and held a finger up in silent command for the dog to sit. A small cup of training treats sat next to him. “Hey, boy, there’s someone else we need you to meet.” He tilted his head and wagged his tail. “You already have met our partner, but it’s been a little while…”

He nodded at Eddie. After a moment, the symbiote slipped out from its place within him and opened two large, white eyes at the dog. At once, all the hairs along Samson’s spine went up, and he started to skitter back-

“Ah-ah-ah, shhh, hey, it’s okay, see?” He held out a small treat nearby where the symbiote lingered. Samson flattened his ears against his head and bared his teeth at the strange creature. “Look, it’s okay.” Flash gestured to the symbiote, and it wound closer to Flash. He skritched its head, and in turn it made a low purring sound. 

Eddie looked worriedly at the developing scene. “I thought you said they had bonded before.”

“They have, but it was kind of a chaotic scene.” After a little coaxing, Samson came closer and took the treat from Flash’s palm. “Good boy,” he praised, scratching under the dog’s chin. Samson still whined when the symbiote inched closer, but didn’t scamper away. 

“Maybe he would remember our other better… in a more familiar form?”

“Hey, that’s actually a good idea. If… you don’t mind..?”

Eddie shook his head with a small smile. His jacket unraveled in a swirl of motion before the symbiote had joined with Flash in the old look of Agent Venom, spikes and shoulderpads and all. It took a moment for the dog to process this change (and a few instances of the symbiote moving away from Flash’s hand and face), but eventually he wagged the tip of his tail and licked their palm. They laughed, both the high and bright tone that was distinctly Flash, and the deeper timbre that made up the symbiote.  **“That’s a good boy, you remember us, huh?”** Flash’s voice cut through a little more when they looked to Eddie.  **“Get over here, Eddie; this dog is officially part of the family now.”**

“Family, huh?” He snorted, but Flash could see the way his heart melted when Samson rolled over for a belly rub. Eddie seemed tentative as he rubbed the dog’s stomach. 

**“You gotta get your fingers into the fur-”** They shook their head. The symbiote was already moving back to Eddie. “V, help him, please?”

“I don’t need  _ help _ petting a- hey!” The symbiote had immediately taken hold of Eddie’s hands and sank them into the beautiful double-coat of fur. Samson rolled back over after a minute and practically climbed into Eddie’s lap, trying to lick his face. “Didn’t you say he used to be a seeing-eye dog?”

“He’s retired and he knows it. Just like me, huh, old boy?” Flash scratched behind Samson’s ears again, with a little more contemplative of a smile. “Welcome to the family, Samson. 

“Like the rest of us, it sure feels like you’ve already been part of it for a while.”


End file.
